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This site will provide you with information on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do.

TEKS Review and Revision

The State Board of Education (SBOE) has legislative authority to adopt the TEKS for each subject of the required curriculum. SBOE members nominate educators, parents, business and industry representatives, and employers to serve on TEKS review committees. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Review by Subject area web page provides information regarding the SBOE's process and current and previous reviews. Subscribe to updates from TEA.

The following link will provide information for the TEKS by subject area review:

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills by Chapter

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are listed below in two different formats, a web-based version of the standards and a PDF version of the standards. Click on the link below to access the web version (Web) of the standards or a PDF version (PDF) of the standards. Please note that the web-version of the standards may contain more than one page.

TEKS-Related Documents

The following links provide access to TEKS-related documents:

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills by Grade Level (Elementary)

The following documents provide the elementary TEKS compiled by grade level:

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This site will provide you with information on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. The State Board of Education (SBOE) has legislative authority to adopt the TEKS for each subject of the required curriculum.

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SPEDTex | Helping Families Navigate Special Education in Texas

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Explore special education resources to help your family understand your child’s disability, navigate your rights under IDEA, and collaborate with schools to support special education services.

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Special Education in Texas

Together, we are committed to high expectations and strong systems that achieve equitable outcomes for every student with a disability.

Special Education Strategic Plan

In early 2018, TEA worked with stakeholders across Texas to develop the Strategic Plan for Special Education in Texas. This plan was informed by more than 7,000 voices and lays out an ambitious set of activities aimed at dramatically improving special education programs in Texas. Click on each circle below to see TEA's progress in completing the activities laid out in the various areas within the strategic plan.

Stay Informed

Explore Our Work

TEA is committed to providing families, students, and schools with high quality supports to enable students with disabilities to achieve the highest outcomes. The links below lead to information and resources provided by TEA toward achieving that goal.

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Together, we are committed to high expectations and strong systems that achieve equitable outcomes for every student with a disability. In early 2018, TEA worked with stakeholders across Texas to develop the Strategic Plan for Special Education in Texas.

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State Guidance, Blind/Visually Impaired, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Child Find, Evaluation

TEA's FAQ regarding evaluating a student with a sensory impairment for a potential learning disability.

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State Guidance, Blind/Visually Impaired, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Child Find, Evaluation TEA's FAQ regarding evaluating a student with a sensory impairment for a potential learning disability.

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Our Research Library

​Explore our searchable database of published research by TCLD experts.
See our resources
Education Research Matters

Read monthly summaries of new articles on topics of interest to the field, including important study findings and implications for research and practice.

Teacher's Corner

Explore this research-to-practice blog with lesson plans and resources to support teachers and other practitioners.
Go to the blog
SALUD

Check out our new, free health literacy program for middle and high school teachers focused on COVID-19.

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Texas Center for Learning Disabilities: Home

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The Texas Center for Learning Disabilities (TCLD) website disseminates resources on learning disabilities to parents, teachers, and researchers.

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Page 6: High-Quality PLAAFP Statements

Make sure that all of the student's educational needs identified in the evaluation stage are included in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance section of the IEP.

One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the student's current levels of functioning. State and district documentation of this information varies. For example, some PLAAFP statements are written as a single comprehensive summary that covers all areas in which the student needs support; others are written as multiple smaller descriptions that address each area of need separately.

Regardless of the way it is organized, the PLAAFP statement must contain information for each identified area of need based on the results of the student's evaluation (the second step in the IEP process). The PLAAFP statement serves as the foundation from which all other components of the IEP will be built.

At a minimum, the PLAAFP statement must contain information that:

Describes the student's needs in an academic and/or functional skill area

States the impact of the student's disability on her involvement in the general education curriculum

Documents the student's current levels of performance, which will serve as baseline data to measure her subsequent progress
baseline data
The measure of the level of a student's academic or behavioral performance before a change (e.g., instructional or behavioral practice or intervention) is implemented. This information can be compared to data collected after the change has been implemented to evaluate student progress.

Informs the annual goals and the appropriate special education services and supports required to meet those goals

Alphabet Soup

Historically, IEPs contained information about a student's present levels of performance (PLOP), also referred to as present levels of educational performance (PLEP) in some schools or districts. When Congress reauthorized IDEA in 2004, this was changed to the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). The new term highlights the need for special education to address all of a student's needs. The addition of functional performance -nonacademic skills necessary for independent living (e.g., behavior, social skills, communication, independent living skills, and mobility)-reflects an awareness that students with disabilities require more than academic supports if they are to meet their individual goals for long-term success.

PLOP: present levels of performance

Legislation and Litigation

Developing a High-Quality PLAAFP Statement

The IEP team can begin the process of developing a high-quality PLAAFP statement by holding a discussion that centers around the four elements outlined above: student needs, effect on progress in general education, baseline information, and connection to goals and/or services. By doing so, they will begin to assemble the elements that will become the student's PLAAFP statement. The table below poses some questions that can help guide that conversation.

Student Needs

Information on the student's current academic and/or functional needs

What are:

The student's strengths?

The main areas of concern (e.g., academic, functional) and how do these concerns relate to district or state standards and benchmarks and the student's postsecondary interests?

The parents' concerns?

The student's instructional preferences?

The results from the evaluation (e.g., standardized tests, progress monitoring data)?

Ways in which the student's strengths can help address the identified areas of concern?

Effect on Progress in General Education

An explanation of how the disability affects the student's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum

How does the student's disability affect her:

Involvement in general education?

Access to the general education curriculum?

Progress in the general education curriculum?

Baseline Information

Baseline data for monitoring student progress

Are the data being reviewed to determine whether the student is making progress:

And do these data relate to:

Identified areas of concern?

State content standards?

Connection to Goals and/or Services

Bridge between the PLAAFP statement and an annual goal

Is there enough information in the PLAAFP to develop a challenging, ambitious, measurable annual goal?

Is there enough information in the PLAAFP to determine what special education, related services, accommodations, and program modifications are needed?

Note: These are simple "yes" or "no" questions.

When a student's first IEP is developed, much of the information needed for the PLAAFP is collected in the initial assessment. That information is outdated by the time a student's IEP is ready for an annual review, so school personnel will need to collect data prior to the IEP meeting. In this interview, Tamara McLean shares how personnel at her school collaborate to collect the information and draft PLAAFP statements (time: 1:06).

Transcript: Tamara McLean

In my school when we develop the PLAAFP statements, it's a collaboration of many different people. So if it is an O. T. skill, the O.T. is going to develop the wording, but she will send out an information thing to fill out for the gen ed teacher, for the special ed teacher, on those areas so they can see how it plays out in the classroom versus just their one-on-one setting. The case manager is really only going to develop the areas that they serve. So if a child has an IEP that has math service and it has reading service, the person who delivers the reading service is going to be the person who actually fills in that part of the IEP. But they're going to reach out to the reading teacher as well and get information for how that plays out in the general education classroom. Really, it is a collaboration for all areas because whether it's pre-vocational, whether it's social-emotional, whether it's math, whether it's reading, it's not just going to be one person who has information on that.

After the IEP team has discussed the information above, they can begin to write the PLAAFP statement. As they do so, they should keep in mind that this statement should be written in concise, specific, and clear language that can be easily understood by all members of the IEP team. It should not merely identify the student's disability and list the various assessment scores, but instead should provide enough information to inform the development of the student's annual goals. The table below contains portions of one student's PLAAFP statement that relate to his reading skills and shows how each element is addressed.

Student Needs

K is a 9-year-old, 4th-grade student who is eligible for special education services under the category of Specific Learning Disability. K has strong expressive and receptive language skills and a large vocabulary. As a result, he actively engages in class discussions and performs well on tasks that require auditory comprehension (e.g., following multi-step directions, answering comprehension questions about class discussions or about passages that are read to him). His strong communication skills have also earned him the friendship and respect of his peers, many of whom look to K as a class leader.

K's learning disability negatively affects his decoding skills, which are at a low 2nd-grade level. His broad reading scores on standardized tests are:

In addition to school-based concerns, K's parents worry about the effects of his learning disability outside of school. For example, K avoids games that involve even a little bit of reading, resulting in some conflicts during weekly family game nights, which often involve board games. When the family eats out, K prefers one restaurant whose menu he has memorized and protests if a new restaurant is selected due to anxiety about reading an unfamiliar menu.

Effect on Progress in General Education

The 4th-grade curriculum involves many independent reading activities. K's decoding problems affect his performance in the general education setting because he cannot independently read items like written instructions, worksheets, or content area texts. He is self-conscious about his reading difficulties and works hard to hide his reading struggles from his classmates. As a result, he is unwilling to utilize text-to-speech technologies on his tablet, even with headphones, or partner with a peer reader.

Baseline Information

K is currently reading 54 words correct per minute (wpm) on a 2nd-grade reading probe, which is slightly higher than the 2nd-grade fall benchmark of 50 wpm. The 4th-grade fall benchmark is 95 wpm on a 4th-grade reading probe.

Connection to Goals and/or Services

Yes, there is enough information to determine annual goals and/or services and supports.

Did You Know?

For preschool children, the part of the statement describing how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum is different. In their case, that portion of the statement describes how the child's disability affects her participation in appropriate activities.

This toolbox describes additional resources related to the information presented on this page. These resources are provided for informational purposes only for those who wish to learn more about the topic(s). It is not necessary for those working through this module to read or refer to all of these additional resources to understand the content.

This IRIS Case Study describes how to clearly define a student's behavior so that when they occur they can be reliably identified, measured, or counted. It goes deeper into the methods needed to collect baseline data and then determine whether the student has made progress.

Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance (PLAAFPs)
Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) Statements

Both of the Kansas SDE documents above explain each of the elements within a high-quality PLAAFP statement. The first lists additional considerations for infants and toddlers, behavior, severe disabilities, and secondary transition-related issues. The second introduces the connection between the PLAAFP statements and the annual goals, with examples.
Present Levels
This Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR) document provides additional detail on both academic and functional skills, as well as examples across a wide range of skill areas.

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IRIS | Page 6: High-Quality PLAAFP Statements

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Make sure that all of the student's educational needs identified in the evaluation stage are included in the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance section of the IEP. One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the student's current levels of functioning.

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Below are some links for parents and educators about reading:

Children's Learning Institute (CLI)
The goal of CLI is to make sure every child is equipped to learn and able to excel.

Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers
This website is sponsored by WETA, public broadcasting station in Washington, D.C., and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The website offers expert advice, recommended books, and tips for parents and teachers.

TEA Reading and English Language Arts Units
The Reading and English Language Arts Units, in the Division of Curriculum and Professional Development at the Texas Education Agency, provide direction and leadership to the reading and English language arts programs, Kindergarten-Grade 12.

Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
The Vaughn Gross Center, located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, is dedicated to improving reading instruction for all students, especially struggling readers, English language learners, and special education students. Check out the links to professional development products and special education materials.

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Below are some links for parents and educators about reading: Children's Learning Institute (CLI)The goal of CLI is to make sure every child is equipped to learn and able to excel. Reading Rockets | Launching Young Readers This website is sponsored by WETA, public broadcasting station in Washington, D.C., and funded by the U.S.

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Monthly Instructional Guides for SpEd Teachers

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Monthly Instructional Guides for SpEd Teachers

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September Checklist | Texas SPED Support

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By now you should be familiar with your students’ IEPs and the essence statements that will be assessed. You have established schedules for staff and students and you are developing lessons to target skills.

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Specially Designed Instruction: A Resource for Teachers

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Specially Designed Instruction: A Resource for Teachers

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School Health and Related Services (SHARS)

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School Health and Related Services (SHARS)

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ESC 11 presentation-new policy Oct 13, 2021.pdf

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This guide is designed to give you, as a parent of a child who is or may be eligible for special education services, a better understanding of the special education process and of your procedural rights and responsibilities so that you will be able to fully participate in the decision making process regarding your child's education. SPEDTex makes this resource available in 24 different languages. Click the link below to download this resource.

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This guide is designed to give you, as a parent of a child who is or may be eligible for special education services, a better understanding of the special education process and of your procedural rights and responsibilities so that you will be able to fully participate in the decision making process regarding your child's education.

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CC SSA ARD Meeting Expectations & Responsibilities

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Questions and Answers On Discipline Procedures:

These Q&As are not intended to be a replacement for careful study of the IDEA and the implementing regulations thereof. The IDEA, implementing regulations, and other important related documents are found at this site.

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Many legal issues surround the area of discipline and students with disabilities who are involved in disciplinary actions.

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The home of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). FInd more information on PBIS, how to implement PBIS, get resources and materials, and how to get support. Funded by the U.S.

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PBIS World | A Complete Tier 1 Through Tier 3 Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports System

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PBIS World is in no way affiliated, associated, or connected with any other website, entity, organization, or federal, state, local, or other government agency, department, program, policy, organization, or initiative.

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Here is a sampling of strategies that teachers can use either to head off or to provide consequences for low- to medium-level student misbehavior: Break student tasks into manageable 'chunks': Students may misbehave to escape activities that they find too hard or tedious.

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Restorative Discipline Practices in Texas

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Restorative Discipline Practices in Texas

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Restorative Discipline Practices in Texas

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Restorative Discipline Practices (RDP) in Texas began in the Fall of 2015. The Texas Education Agency partnered with the Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work to participate in a statewide roll out.

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The Texas Assessment Program is a statewide testing program that includes the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®), STAAR Alternate 2, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), and TELPAS Alternate. The Texas Assessment Program is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the defined knowledge and skills at each tested grade or the extent to which a student has developed English language proficiency. These required assessments were created to fulfill both federal and state requirements.

Student Assessment Resources

Texas Assessment Program Contact Information

TEA Student Assessment Division

The Student Assessment Division manages the administration, scoring, and reporting for the Texas Assessment Program.

Phone: (512) 463-9536
Email: studentassessment@tea.texas.gov

TEA Assessment Development Division

The Assessment Development Division manages the item development, test construction, and scoring for the Texas Assessment Program.

Phone: (512) 463-9536
Email: studentassessment@tea.texas.gov

Cambium Assessment, Inc.

Cambium hosts and manages the online testing platform for all assessments and manages the registration, administration, scoring, and reporting for the Texas Assessment Program.

Phone: (833) 601-8821
Email: TexasTestingSupport@cambiumassessment.com

NCS, Pearson, Inc.

Pearson is responsible for item development and test construction for the Texas Assessment Program.

Phone: (800) 627-0225
Email: TxPearsonAccess@support.pearson.com

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The Texas Assessment Program is a statewide testing program that includes the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®), STAAR Alternate 2, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), and TELPAS Alternate.

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The Texas Assessment Program is a statewide testing program that includes State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), and TELPAS Alternate. Each section below contains information and resources for assessing special populations.

Students Receiving Special Education Services

For students who receive special education services, students' admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committees make educational decisions, including decisions related to state assessments, accommodations, and graduation requirements.

Students are required to take STAAR with or without allowable accommodations unless they meet participation requirements for STAAR Alternate 2.

Emergent bilingual (EB) students are also required to take TELPAS (or TELPAS Alternate if they meet the participation requirements).

Students Receiving Services Under Section 504

Students with disabilities who receive services under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are required to:

take STAAR with or without accommodations,

meet assessment graduation requirements, and

take TELPAS (or TELPAS Alternate if they meet the participation requirements) if they are an EB student.

Emergent Bilingual Students

EB students are required to:

take STAAR with or without accommodations,

meet assessment graduation requirements, and

take TELPAS (or TELPAS Alternate if they meet the participation requirements).

For EB students who receive special education services or services under section 504, the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) is required to work in conjunction with the applicable committee to make and document assessment and accommodation decisions.

LPAC Resources

Related Resources

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The Texas Assessment Program is a statewide testing program that includes State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), and TELPAS Alternate. Each section below contains information and resources for assessing special populations.

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The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Alternate 2 is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards. It is a standardized item-based assessment administered individually to eligible students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are receiving special education services. STAAR Alternate 2 fulfills the requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Every Student Succeeds Act.

STAAR Alternate 2 is a paper assessment in mathematics, reading language arts (RLA), science, and social studies for students in grades 3-8 and high school.

Who Is Tested?

A student's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee must determine if the student meets the participation requirements for STAAR Alternate 2. All students enrolled in Texas public schools and open-enrollment charter schools in grades 3-12 who meet the participation requirements are required to participate in STAAR Alternate 2 at their enrolled grade level or course.

If an ARD committee determines that a student meets the eligibility criteria for "No Authentic Academic Response" (NAAR) or a "Medical Exception," the student will not be required to participate in STAAR Alternate 2.

What Is Tested?

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The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Alternate 2 is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards. It is a standardized item-based assessment administered individually to eligible students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are receiving special education services.

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The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) Alternate is a holistic inventory aligns to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs); however, TELPAS Alternate is based on alternate proficiency level descriptors. This assessment is designed to address the specific access needs of emergent bilingual (EB) students in grades 2-12 with the most significant cognitive disabilities. TELPAS Alternate fulfills the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act for assessing the English language proficiency of EB students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

TELPAS Alternate holistically assesses EB students in grades 2-12 in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Who Is Tested?

An EB student's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee, in conjunction with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC), must determine if the student meets the participation requirements for TELPAS Alternate. All EB students enrolled in Texas public schools and open-enrollment charter schools in grades 2-12 who meet the participation requirements are required to participate in TELPAS Alternate. EB students are required to be assessed annually with an English language proficiency assessment until they meet EB reclassification criteria.

If an ARD committee determines that a student meets the eligibility criteria for "No Authentic Academic Response" (NAAR) or a "Medical Exception," the student will not be required to participate in TELPAS Alternate.

What Is Tested?

What Is Reported?

What Other Information Is Available?

Test Administration

Training

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The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) Alternate is a holistic inventory aligns to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs); however, TELPAS Alternate is based on alternate proficiency level descriptors. This assessment is designed to address the specific access needs of emergent bilingual (EB) students in grades 2-12 with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) defines accommodations as changes to materials or procedures that enable students to participate meaningfully in learning and testing. Accommodation policies may apply to any student taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®) or the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) depending on his or her needs and whether the student meets the eligibility criteria, as applicable.

Refer to the Accommodations section of the District and Campus Coordinator Resources for more information and additional resources.

These policies are divided into three main categories:

accessibility features-procedures and materials that should be made available to students who regularly use them during classroom instruction

locally-approved designated supports-procedures and materials that do not require TEA approval for students who meet eligibility criteria

designated supports requiring TEA Approval-procedures and materials that require the submission and approval of an Accommodation Request Form for students who meet eligibility criteria

Archive

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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) defines accommodations as changes to materials or procedures that enable students to participate meaningfully in learning and testing. Accommodation policies may apply to any student taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®) or the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) depending on his or her needs and whether the student meets the eligibility criteria, as applicable.

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General and Special Education Graduation Requirements

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General and Special Education Graduation Requirements

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Graduation Guidance | Texas Education Agency

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This page provides information and rules about graduation requirements for students with disabilities who receive special education services.

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Frontline Special Education & Interventions V3Formerly eSTAR V3